KOCHI: Congress councillor V R Sudheer is all set to become the deputy mayor of Kochi. Making its internal caste and group equations work, the Congress Parliamentary Party, which met on Tuesday, nominated Elamakkara South division councillor Sudheer as its candidate for the deputy mayor election to be held in Kochi corporation on Wednesday.
The election was necessitated after Deepak Joy, the incumbent deputy mayor, was elected to the state assembly from the Tripunithura constituency in the election held in April this year.
Sudheer’s election is a formality as the UDF has 45 councillors in the 76-member council. The LDF has 20 seats while the NDA has six, besides four independents. The CPM-led LDF has fielded K J Yesudas, a two-time councillor representing the Nazareth division, as its candidate, while the BJP has named Thrikkanarvattom councillor Jalaja S Acharya for the deputy mayor’s post.
Sudheer, a four-time councillor, was the front-runner for the deputy mayor’s post within the Congress, considering the group and community equations that favoured him.
“Sudheer is part of the ‘A’ group of the Congress. He also belongs to the Ezhava community, making the decision favourable for him,” said a Congress leader in Ernakulam.
Since Mayor V K Minimol and Mayor-designate Shiny Mathew are from the Christian community, the deputy mayor’s post was given to a Hindu candidate.
After the UDF won the 2025 corporation election, the deputy mayor’s term was split, with Deepak Joy holding the post for the first two and a half years and K V P Krishnakumar, representing the Ernakulam South division, slated to hold it for the remaining term. However, Deepak’s elevation to the assembly necessitated a fresh election. Though discussions were held to elect Krishnakumar as the deputy mayor for the remaining term, it was opposed by ‘A’ group leaders. Considering his experience, several councillors had lobbied for the post. The deputy mayor will also serve as the chairperson of the finance committee.
Other names in the fray were M G Aristottil, a three-term councillor representing the Kaloor South division and a member of the finance committee, and Henry Austin, a two-term councillor elected from the Vaduthala East division.
At present, to maintain group balance, the deputy mayor’s post is held by the ‘A’ group, while the mayor’s post is held by the ‘I’ group. The mayoral term is also split between Minimol and Shiny Mathew, an ‘A’ group leader elected from the Fort Kochi division.
DCC president and Kochi MLA Mohammed Shiyas, N Venugopal, Dominic Presentation, Ajay Tharayil, M R Abhilash, Deepthi Mary Varghese, MLAs T J Vinodh, Tony Chammany and Deepak Joy, along with other councillors, attended the Congress parliamentary party meeting.
